Discernment

Because God is constantly inviting us to use the gifts we have been given to be Jesus’ hands and feet in this world – to bring the Kingdom of God just that much nearer. How can we do this?

ECMN has developed a great set of discernment tools to help you become clearer about your gifts so that you can best engage God’s Mission. Please visit https://schoolforformation.expertlearning.net and click on Free Courses and look for Discern Your Gifts (It will ask you for an enrollment key, which is in the course discription, or, just copy and paste this: Discern@2018). If you don’t already have a log-in, you can easily create one. If you are doing this with several people in your faith community, only one person would need to log-in to have access to videos to share and resources to print out. There are five sessions in all – and each session can be shaped around a model of eating, praying, engaging in Scripture, learning about your gifts, and sending you on your way with a full and grateful heart.

The final session is called “So, what now?” and you will discern and discover what to do with what you have learned that center around the following opportunities:

1. Role Clarity

There are three helpful resources that help describe how the gifts you’ve discerned and discovered might be put to use:

Lay Ministry Roles. Most Episcopalians live out our calls as lay people. ECMN has developed a new guide that describes numerous ways in which you can use your gifts in the Church and perhaps even more importantly, in the world.

Ordained Ministry Roles. For those whose gifts are leaning towards the possibility of a Holy Order – priesthood or diaconate – there is a resource that describes an additional discernment process, along with the formation and canonical steps towards ordination.

2. Faith Community Ministry Models

Once you have become clearer about individual roles, it is important to do some ongoing discernment as a faith community. What is the best way to be good stewards of your resources and fully live into Engaging God’s Mission? Click here for some ministry model ideas that are in operation in faith communities across Minnesota.